I am thinking of renting out my home. Do I really have to inform my building society? The short answer is, yes - for the simple reason that ordinary residential mortgage agreements invariably require it. Failure to do so would therefore put you in breach of the terms of your...

Q. There seems to be quite a discrepancy between the market value of my home and its insured value, and I’m concerned that I may not have adequate cover. A. The market value of a property, and the value that is put on it for insurance purposes, are two very...

Q. Are there any rules governing estate agents’ boards and the way they are used? A.There are indeed – courtesy of the snappily-titled Town and Country Planning (Control of Advertisements) (England) Regulations 2007! These lay down pretty stringent...

Q. In his will, my late father left me a sizeable lump sum, which I want to put to work. Is buy-to-let a viable option? A. Absolutely, yes! In fact, after a bit of a slowdown in the immediate aftermath of the credit crunch, the buy-to-let sector is booming once again...

Q . My house has now been on the market for almost 6 months, without success. Help! A. There is no denying the fact that the market is a lot tougher right now. Even allowing for that, however, 6 months is a long time. So – assuming, of course, that you’re still...

What advice would we give someone who is just starting their search for a new home? The first thing I would say is that if you are serious about moving, and you have the necessary funds at your disposal, then now is actually a really good time to be looking. There is a lot...

I am thinking of buying my first property, and the deposit isn’t a problem - but with the market the way it is, surely it’s better to wait? To buy or not to buy – that is the question! If you are not actually under any particular pressure to buy now, then why...

Prime property prices see slight rise in November The prices for prime properties in the UK saw a slight rise in November, as prices improved compared to the month prior. According to the latest figures from Prime Location, the price of prime properties across the...